Firmo - 'Rehab'

(Street Symphonies Records)

Italian musician Gianluca Firmo may not be a household name, but his Room Experience album which featured David Readman (Pink Cream 69) on vocals garnered him a lot of critical acclaim upon its release in 2015 and even more importantly his song writing received adoration from melodic rock fans from around the world.

‘Rehab’ is Firmo’s first full solo album and it sees the multi-instrumentalist come to the fore and taking on vocal duties too. This album sees Firmo spreading his song writing wings and exploring tone’s and sounds we haven’t previously heard from him.

Firmo has combined evocative and emotive instrumentation with impassioned vocals and relatable heartfelt lyrics on a collection of songs the not only showcases his talents but will also resonate with fans of soft rock.

‘Rehab’ has the commercial edge of Bon Jovi, the AOR sensibilities of REO Speedwagon and the emotional depth and atmospherics of Richard Marx. Firmo’s love of soft rock’s commercial heyday is abundantly clear in his style but he never imitates in his emulation of a much beloved era of commercial rock.

Listeners will get lost in the varied range of emotions, evocative soundscapes and words Firmo presents us with, lots of positivity, fun and friendship as well as heartache and melancholy too.

‘Rehab’ is bound to excite and delight melodic rock fans with its beautiful ballads and exhilarating melodies. It’s old school rock for a new generation of listeners and it’s is sure to established Firmo as a respected song writer and cult hero in melodic rock circles.

10/10

Essential Track - Maybe Forever

Review by Woody

Note - I was approached by Gianluca Firmo to write linear notes for this album, the above words appear in the booklet for 'Rehab'.